7 Flor, Jeqetable GardeninCl Guide

Table 3, Planting Guide for Florida Vegetables Spacing Information

I

Crop

Beans, bush

Beans, pole

Beans, lima

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cantaloupes

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chinese cabbage

Collards

Corn, sweet

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Endivel Escarole

Kale

Planting Dates in Florida (outdoors)1

North

I Central

I South

Mar-Apr Feb-Apr Sept-Apr Aug-Sept Sept

Mar-Apr Feb-Apr Aug-Apr Aug-Sept Aug-Sept

Mar-Aug Feb-Apr Aug-Apr Sept.

Sept-Mar Oct-Mar Oct-Feb

Aug-Feb Aug-Jan Sept-Jan

Sept-Feb Sept-Jan Sept-Jan

Mar-Apr Feb-Apr Aug-Sept Feb-Mar

Sept-Mar Oct-Mar Oct-Feb

Jan-Feb Oct-Jan Oct-Jan Aug-Oct

Jan-Mar Aug-Feb Oct-Jan

Oct-Feb Oct-Jan Nov-Jan

Feb-Apr Aug-Mar Aug-Feb Aug-Nov

Mar-Apr Feb-Mar Aug-Mar Aug Aug-Sept

Feb-Apr Feb-Mar Sept-Mar Aug-Sept Sept

Feb-July Jan-Mar Dec-Feb Aug-Sept Aug-Oct

Feb-Mar Jan-Feb Sept-Jan Sept Sept

Sept-Feb Sept-Jan Sept-Jan

Plant Famil/

Fabaceae

Fabaceae

Fabaceae

Chenopodiaceae

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae

Cucurbitaccae

Apiaceae

Brassicaceae

Apiaceae

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae

Poaceae

Cucurbitaceae

Solanaceae

Asteraceae

Transplant­abilitl

III

III

III

I

I

III

II

II

III

III

Pounds yield per

100'

45

80

50

75

50

125

150

100

80

150

100

150

115

100

200

75

Days to Harvest

4

50-60

55-70

65-75

50-65

75-90

90-110 (70-90)

75-90 (65-75)

65-80

75-90 (55-70)

115-125 (80-105)

70-90 (60-70)

70-80

60-95

50-65 (40-50)

90-110 (75-90)

80-95

Seedslplants Per 100'

1 lb.

1/2 lb.

2 lb.

1 oz.

100 pits 1/8 oz.

(1/80z) 100 pits

112 oz.

1/8 oz.

55 pits (1/80z)

150 pits (1/8 oz)

125 pits (1/80z)

100 pits (1 /80z)

2 oz.

112 oz.

50 pits 1 pkt

100 pits

100 pits (1/8oz)

Spacing (inches)

Rows PlantsI 18-30

40-48

24-36

14-24

30-36

24-36

60-72

16-24

24-30

24-36

24-36

24-30

24-36

36-60

36-42

18-24

24-30

2-3

3-6

3-4

3-5

12-18

12-24

24-36

1-3

18-24

6-10

12-24

10-18

12-18

12-24

24-36

8-12

12-18

Seed depth

(inches)

1-2

1-2

1-2

1/2 - 1

112 - 1

112 - 1

1-2

1/2

112 - 1

1/4 - 1/2

114 - 3/4

112 - 1

1-2

1-2

1/2

1/2

112 - 1

8 Florida Veqetable Gardeninq Guide

Table 3. Planting Guide for Florida Vegetables: Spacing Information

Crop Planting Dates in Florida (outdoors) 1

North I Central I South

Plant Famill Transplant­

abilit/

Pounds

yield per 100'

Days to Harvest

4 Seeds/plants

Per 100' Spacing (inches)

Rows I Plants

Seed depth

(inches)

Kohlrabi Sept-Mar Oct-Mar Oct-Feb Brassicaceae I 100 70-S0 1/S oz. 24-30 3-5 1/2 - 1 (50-55)

Lettuce : Feb-Mar Sept-Mar Sept-Jan Asteraceae I 75 50-90 100 pits 12-24 S-12 1/2 Crisp, Sept-Oct

Butter-head, Leaf & Romaine

Mustard Sept-May Sept-Mar Sept-Mar Brassicaceae II 100 40-60 1/4 oz. 14-24 1-6 1/2 - 1

Okra Mar-July Mar-Aug Aug-Sept Malvaceae III 70 50-75 1 oz. 24-40 6-12 1-2

Onions, Sept-Dec Sept-Dec Sept-Nov Liliaceae III 100 120-160 300 pits/sets, 12-24 4-6 1/2 - 1 Bulbing (110-120) 1 oz seed

Onions, Aug-Mar Aug-Mar Sept-Mar Liliaceae III 100 50-75 SOO pits/sets 12-24 1-2 2-3 Bunching (30-40) 1 - 1 1/2 oz (Green seed onions)

Onions, .. .. .. Liliaceae III 100 (30-40) .. 1S-24 6-S 1/2 - 3/4 (Shallots)

Peas, Jan-Mar Sept-Mar Sept-Feb Fabaceae III 40 50-70 1 lb. 24-36 2-3 1-2 English

Peas, Mar-Aug Mar-Sept Aug-Apr Fabaceae III 80 60-90 1/2 oz. 30-36 2-3 1-2 southern

Peppers Feb-Apr Jan-Mar Aug-Mar Solanaceae I 50 80-100 100 pits 20-36 12-24 1/2 July-Aug Aug-Sept (60-S0) 1 pkt

Potatoes Jan-Mar Jan-Feb Sept-Jan Solanaceae II 150 85-110 151bs. 36-42 8-12 3-4

Potatoes, Mar-June Feb-June Feb-June Convolvulaceae I 300 (120-140) 100 pits 48-54 12-14 --­sweet

Pumpkin Mar-Apr Feb-Mar Jan-Feb Cucurbitaceae III 300 90-120 1 oz. 60-84 36-60 1-2 Aug Aug Aug-Sept (80-110)

Radish Sept-Mar Sept-Mar Oct-Mar Brassicaceae III 40 20-30 1 oz. 12-18 1-2 3/4

Spinach Oct-Nov Oct-Nov Oct-Jan Chenopodiaceae II 40 45-60 1 oz. 14-18 3-5 3/4

Squash, Mar-Apr Feb-Mar Jan-Mar Cucurbitaceae III 150 40-55 1 1/2 oz. 36-48 24-36 1-2 Summer Aug-Sept Aug-Sept Sept-Oct (35-40)

9 Flot Jegetable Gardening Guide - . Table 3. Planting Guide for Florida Vegetables : Spacing Information

Transplant- Pounds Days toCrop Planting Dates in Florida (outdoors) 1

Plant Famill Seeds/plants Spacing (inches) Seed abilitl yield per Harvest4 Per 100' depthNorth Central South I PlantsRows100' (inches) I I

Squash, Mar Feb-Mar Jan-Feb Cucurbitaceae III 300 80-110 1 oz. 60-90 36-48 1-2 Winter Aug Aug Sept (70-90)

Strawberry Oct-Nov Del-Nov Oct-Nov Rosaceae I 50 (90-110) 100 pits 36-40 10-14 -­

Tomatoes, Feb-Apr Jan-Mar Aug-Mar Solanaceae I 200 90-110 70 pits 36-48 18-24 1/2 Stake Aug Sept (75-90) 1 pkt

Tomatoes, " " " Solanaceae I 200 90-110 35 pits 40-60 36-40 1/2 I

Ground (75-90) 1 pkt

Tomatoes , " " " Solanaceae I 200 90-110 Container (75-90)

Turnips Jan-Apr Jan-Mar Oct-Feb Brassicaceae III 150 40-60 1/4 oz. 12-20 4-6 1/2 -1 Aug-Oct Sept-Nov

Watermelon , Mar-Apr Jan-Mar Jan-Mar Cucurbitaceae III 400 85-95 1/8 oz. 84-108 48-60 1-2 Large July-Aug Aug Aug-Sept (80-90)

Watermelon, " " " Cucurbitaceae III 400 85-95 1/8 oz. 48-60 15-30 " Small (80-90)

Watermelon, " " " Cucurbitaceae III 400 85-95 70 pits 48-60 15-30 " Seedless (80-90)

1 North: north of State Rd 40; Central: between State Rds 40 and 70; South: south of State Rd 70. 2 Rotate crops to avoid soil pest problems; avoid planting vegetables belonging to the same family in successive seasons. 3 Transplantability categories: I, easily survives transplanting; II, survives with care; III , use seeds or containerized transplants only. 4 Days from seeding to harvest: Values in parentheses are days from transplanting to first harvest.

10Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Table 4. Suggested Varieties for Florida Gardens

CROP

Beans, bush

Beans, pole

Beans, lima

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cantaloupes and Honeydews

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chinese Cabbage

Collards

Corn, sweet

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES1

Snap: Bush Blue Lake, Contender, Roma II , Provider, Cherokee Wax Shell : Horticultural , Pinto, Red Kidney, Black Bean, Navy

McCaslan, Kentucky Wonder, Blue Lake

Fordhook 242, Henderson, Jackson Wonder, Dixie (Speckled) Butterpea, Early Thorogreen

Tall Top, Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red, Cylindra, Red Ace, Yellow Detroit

Early Green, Early Dividend, Green Sprouting/Calabrese, Waltham, Packman, De Cicco, Broccoli Raab (Rapini)

Rio Verde, Flat Dutch, Round Dutch, Wakefield types, Copenhagen Market, Savoy, Red Acre

Athena, Ambrosia, Galia (green flesh)

Imperator, Nantes, Danvers, Chantenay

Snowball Strains, Snow Crown, Brocoverde

Utah Strains

Michihili , Bok Choy, Napa, Baby Bok Choy, Pak-choi, Joi Choi

Georgia, Georgia Southern, Top Bunch, Vates

Silver Queen (white), How Sweet It Is (white), Sweet Ice (white), Sweet Riser (yellow), Early Sunglow (yellow)

NOTES/REMARKS

Fertilize at 1/2 rate used for other vegetables. Seed inoculation not essential for most soils. Flowers self-pollinated. Use shell beans green or dry. Roma is a flat pod type. Cherokee is a yellow wax.

Support vines. May be grown with corn for vine support.

Provide trellis support for pole varieties. Control stinkbugs which injure seeds in pods. Fordhook is large-seeded ; Henderson is "butterbean" type.

Beets require ample moisture at seeding or poor germination results. Leaves are edible.

Harvest small multiple side shoots that develop after main central head is cut. Broccoli Raab is not related to broccoli.

Buy clean plants to avoid cabbage black-rot, a common bacterial disease that causes yellow patches on leaf margins. Keep an eye out for looper caterpillars; use Bt for control.

Bees needed for pollination. Mulch to reduce fruit-rot and salmonella. Harvest when the fruit cleanly separates from the vine with light pressure.

Grow carrots on a raised bed for best results . Sow seeds shallow and thin seedlings to recommended spacin~.

Comment: Tie leaves around the head when it is 2-3 inches to prevent discoloration. Brocoverde is green-headed.

Celery requires very high soil moisture during seeding/seedling stage.

Bok Choy is open-leaf type, while Michihili and Napa form tighter heads.

Tolerates more heat than most other brassicas. Harvest lower leaves.

Separate super-sweets from standard varieties by time and distance to avoid cross-pollination . Sucker removal not beneficial. Plant in blocks of 2-3 rows.

,

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Endive/Escarole

Kale

Kohlrabi

Slicers: Sweet Success, Poinsett, Ashley, MarketMore 76, Straight Eight, Space Master Picklers: Liberty Hybrid, Eureka, Boston Pickling

Black Beauty, Dusky, Long, Ichiban, Cloud Nine (white)

Endive:Green Curled Ruffec Escarole: Batavian Broadleaf

Vates Dwarf Blue Curled, Tuscan , Winterbor, Redbor

Early White Vienna, Purple Vienna

Pickling types can also be used fresh. Liberty Hybrid and Sweet Success are burpless types. Many new hybrids are gynoecious (female flowering) which means more fruit set. Bees required for pollination

May need staking. Harvest into summer. Requires warm weather.

Excellent ingredient in tossed salads . Escarole is a selection of endive also known as Batavian endive.

There is also a collard variety named Vates.

Both red and green varieties are easy to grow. Use fresh or cooked . Leaves are edible.

11 Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Table 4. Suggested Varieties for Florida Gardens

Lettuce Crisphead: Great Lakes Grow crisphead type in coolest months for firmer Butterhead: Ermosa, Bibb, Tom Thumb, heads. Sow seeds very shallow as they need light for Buttercrunch, germination. Intercrop lettuce with long-season Loose Leaf: Simpson types, Salad Bowl, vegetables. Red Sails, New Red Fire Oak Leaf: Salad Bowl, Royal Oak

Romaine: Parris Island Cos, Outredgeous

Mustard Southern Giant Curled, Florida Broad Leaf, Consider planting in a wide-row system. Broadleaf Tendergreen, Giant Red, Green Wave, types require more space. Cook as "greens." Mizuna is Mizuna a Japanese green used in salads. It is damaged by

freezing temperatures

Okra Clemson Spineless, Emerald, Annie Produces well in warm months. Highly susceptible to Oakley II, Cajun Delight root-knot nematodes.

Onions Bulbing: Granex (yellow) Plant short-day bulbing varieties. Bulbing onions may Bunching (Green): Evergreen Bunching, be seeded in the fall, then transplanted in Jan-Feb. For White Lisbon Bunching bunching onions, insert sets upright for straight stems. Leeks: American Flag Divide and reset multipliers. Multipliers: Shallots

Peas, English or Snow Wando, Green Arrow, Sugar Snap, Oregon Trellis. The pods of Sugar Snap and Oregon types are Sugarpod II edible.

Peas, Southern (aka California Blackeye No.5, Pinkeye Purple Good summer cover crop. Cowpea curculio - a tiny Field Peas, Cow Peas, Hull, Texas Cream white grub that infests seeds in pod - is a common Crowder Peas, Cream pest. 'California NO.5 Blackeye' is resistant to root-knot

Peas) nematodes.

Peppers Bell: California Wonder, Red Knight, Big Mulching especially beneficial. Will often produce into Bertha summer. Most small-fruited varieties are hot. Pepper Other Sweet: Sweet Banana, Giant heat is measured in Scoville units. Habaneros average Marconi, Mariachi, Cubanelle 259,000 Scovilles; Caribbean Reds are a little over Jalapeno: Early Jalapeno, Jalapeno M 445,000 Scovilles. In comparison, Jalapenos rank Specialty Hot: Cherry Bomb, Hungarian 2,500-10,000 Scovilles, depending on the variety. Hot Wax, Big Chile II, Numex, Ancho, Thai,

Anaheim Chile, Long Cayenne, Habanero, Caribbean Red Habanero

Potato Red Pontiac, Yukon Gold, Gold Rush Plant 2-ounce seed pieces with eyes. Do not use "store boughf' for seed. Remove tops two weeks before digging to "toughen skin". Varieties planted

by seeds produce less than from seed pieces.

Potatoes, Sweet Centennial, Beauregard, Sweet potato weevils are a serious problem. Start with Vardaman certified-free transplants. Use vine cuttings to prolong

season. 'Vardaman' is a bush type for small gardens.

Pumpkin Big Max, Connecticut Field, Prizewinner, Bees required for pollination. Foliage diseases and Jack Be Little, Jack 0 Lantern fruit-rot are common.

Radish Cherry Belle, White Icicle, Sparkler, The winter type (Daikon) grows well in Florida, too. Champion, Daikon Inter-crop fast-growing radishes with slow-growing

vegetables to save space.

Spinach Melody, Bloomsdale Longstanding, Tyee, Grow only during the coolest months. New Zealand Space Spinach and Malabar Spinach, although not true

spinach, grow well during warm months in Florida.2

12 Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Table 4. Suggested Varieties for Florida Gardens

Squash Summer: Early Prolific Straightneck, Summer squash are usually bush type; winter squash

Summer Crookneck, Early White Scallop have vining habit. Both male and female flowers on Winter: Spaghetti, Table King , Table same plant. Bees required . Common fruit roUdrop Queen & Table Ace (Acorn), Waltham, caused by fungus and incomplete pollination. Crossing Early Butternut (Butternut) occurs but results not seen unless seeds are saved.

Zucchini: Cocozelle, Spineless Beauty, Winter types store longest. Calabaza is a

Black Beauty heat-resistant, disease-resistant, vining , hard-shelled

Calabaza squash, similar to a butternut or acorn in taste.

Strawberry Chandler, Oso Grande, Sweet Charlie, Plant short-day varieties. Grow as an annual crop

Selva, Camarosa, Festival starting with disease-free plants in the fall.

Swiss Chard Bright Lights, Bright Yellow, Fordhook Can be grown nearly year-round in Florida. An Giant, Lucullus, Red Ruby excellent alternative green for warm weather.

Tomatoes Large Fruit: Celebrity, Heat Wave II , Staking, mulching beneficial. Flowers self-pollinated. Better Boy, Beefmaster, Blossom drop due to too high or too low temperatures BHN444-Southern Star*, Amelia* , BHN and/or excessive nitrogen fertilization. Serious 640* problems include blossom-end rot, wilts, whitefly, and Small Fruit: Sweet 100, Juliet, Red Grape, leafminers. Sun Gold, Sugar Snack, Sweet Baby Girl Heirloom: Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple, *Resistant to TSVW (Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus) Eva Purple Ball, Brandywine , Mortgage Lifter, Delicious

Grow for roots and tops (greens). Broadcast seed in Roots and Greens: Purple Top

Turnips Roots Purple Top White Globe wide-row system or single file.

Greens: Seven Top, Shogoin

Watermelon Large: Jubilee (aka FL Giant), Crimson Vines require lots of space. Suggest small "ice-box" Sweet, Charleston Gr.ey 133 types. Plant fusarium wilt resistant varieties. Bees Small: Sugar Baby, Mickeylee required for pollination. "Seedless" types must be

interplanted with regular types to dependably bear fruit.

1 Other varieties may produce well also. Suggestions are based on availability, performance, and pest resistance . 2 Information on New Zealand and Malabar spinach and many other minor vegetables can be found at: http://edis.ifas .ufJ .edu/topic hs minor vegetables